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I don't hear a lot of discussions on the message boards about type A's need for exercise.

I feel like I eat reasonably well the majority of the time (about 80-90% compliance to my SWAMI). I've used many DPN supplements off and on including polyflora and deflect. I've addressed my adrenal issues and have reduced my stress levels in many different practical ways. Yet, I don't feel like my health is as optimal as I'd like it to be. Don't get me wrong, I know for a fact my health is FAR better than it was before I discovered the blood type diet, for sure!

A weakness of mine in my adult life has been how inconsistent I have been about exercising. Whenever I have gone through a period where I've engaged in frequent physical activity, it generally hasn't lasted long for one reason or another (probably because I've moved many times). I have a hard time convincing myself to keep up a strict exercise regiment, maybe because I've never had a weight problem or maybe just because I feel too busy.

I know type A's don't typically need as much exercise as O's, with the exception of A explorers which I'm not. So, I'm mentally having a hard time convincing myself I need to be continuously exercising, yet I feel like maybe the full health benefits I feel like I'm missing out on may be because I'm just too sedentary.

Am I crazy, or is what I'm saying making any sense? Are there other type A's that have any stories to share regarding exercise and feeling well?

Posted by: C_Sharp, Friday, October 4, 2013, 10:04pm; Reply: 1

Combing exercise with a social context may help maintain consistency.

Perhaps a Yoga class.

Perhaps a Zumba class.

When you have a class on your schedule it is more difficult to skip days than you say that I will do some stretching exercises each morning when I have time. (In my case, I will never have time)

Posted by: Chloe, Saturday, October 5, 2013, 12:08am; Reply: 2

I think As can be healthy with far less exercise than Os....but everyone should be moving their bodies. When I was your age, I went to a gymevery day....but it was really overkill and when I finally stopped going, I realized it was because Iwas over exercising and finally burned myself out. I would take an hour long aerobic dance class and thengo to the weight room....walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes and then do the circuit training. Upperbody one day, legs another....but every day the treadmill and the classes. Just way too much.

What I do now is once a week I go to a 90 minute yoga class. I own a rebounder so I'll bounce forawhile in front of the TV. I don't enjoy walking although I have a treadmill. I have a stair climberand a recumbent bike....I don't enjoy using equipment.

Sometimes I just do some part of an easy stretching DVD....I try to do something every day but amnot committed to doing something for a certain amount of time. If I can manage 15 minutes in aday, I'm fine with that. As long as I'm breathing properly.

I think what As need to learn is how to breathe properly in order to keep their nervous systems calm. I think it's important not to overtrain and don't try to become a weekend athlete...A littleeach day even if it's a little yoga is fine for most As.

If you really want to see how much you move around in any given day, buy yourself a small pedometer and wear it from the moment you get up till you go to sleep. Ideally, we should betaking 10,000 steps per day. I doubt I ever come close....LOL

Posted by: cajun, Saturday, October 5, 2013, 4:16am; Reply: 3

Even though we are A's our needs, including exercise, are still so individual.Back in the day, I did exactly what Chloe did and always wondered why I couldn't keep that extra 10 pounds off! ::) Jazzercise was good when that was all I did, but...the best was reading ER4YT, then LR4YT and realizing that I needed a completely different set up. I experimented with time, duration and types of movement until I found what works wonderfully for me! ;)I must have the relaxing/focused/meditative/stretching/toning aspect of yoga 2-3 times a week. I also need to move as in dance or brisk walking. I feel good after 2-3 times a week of free weights for strength. Instead of the boring 45 minute treadmill walks of long ago, now I never go more than 15 minutes! I speed up/slow down/incline..just keep switching it up and surprising my body. If this routine gets too interrupted (as in traveling/ periodic hectic schedule) my body lets me know! I just get back to the mix of yoga and cardio as soon as possible. ;)

A weakness of mine in my adult life has been how inconsistent I have been about exercising.

Yeah for me its called LETTING THE FAT GO TO MY HEAD :o :-/ How does the fat go to my head? Cortisol killing off imaginatio, minimizing my exposure to others who are physically improving themselves.

It's funny how I can pick my diamond and bene. and neutral foods quite easily; why not make a chart of the same categories for EXERCISE so that I can "pick my plate of physical activity" every day? Then I could put both lists side by side and start watching what happens.

Every time I eat lamb I reach for an avocado (found out today this thins the A type blood; that's great after eating a red meat.) Wouldn't my body tell me what exercise to do every day I was listening to it? :)

Posted by: Adopted4, Sunday, October 6, 2013, 1:04am; Reply: 5

I believe my digestion is directly related to the mild headaches, lightheadedness, and sluggish feeling I have some of the time. So, I need to find a way to keep myself physically active frequently enough to experience those changes. I just need to find time in the day to do it.

I'm not sure a membership at a health club is a good option right now for many reasons, so going for long walks or getting on our ski machine are really my only viable options right now. I find exercise equipment far less interesting than getting outside and going for a walk. Sometimes I feel guilty leaving the house though for my own pleasure when I think I should be in my home cooking, cleaning, or teaching (I homeschool 4 kids). Maybe I"m a typical teacher genotype.

I used to do a lot of stretching on the floor as a result of the physical therapy I received a long time ago as a result of a car accident. My neck and back were never the same as a result of it, and finding the right physical therapist enabled me to learn to do a lot of good stretches to keep my back free of pain. I actually don't feel like I need to do them all that often anymore as I know that removing lectins from my diet and eating plenty of beneficial foods keeps my joints and muscles feeling relatively healthy. Although, they do get mildly achey at times after strenuous activities, so I probably should keep up on those exercises and not wait for discomfort to come before I resume them.

By the way, I have read ER4YT and LR4YT. I just need to find the right balance of diet, exercise, and stress reduction to experience optimal health.

Posted by: Seraffa, Sunday, October 6, 2013, 5:01am; Reply: 6

What about your water intake....I'm still not drinking enough and that may be why my body is shutting off entertaining ideas of being active....and what about your blood sugar level....

Posted by: Amazone I., Sunday, October 6, 2013, 1:00pm; Reply: 7

I get stomach cramps about the word of *ideal* whatever ;) ;D ...(goofy)(whistle)(shrug)

Posted by: Andrea AWsec, Sunday, October 6, 2013, 4:50pm; Reply: 8

Hooping might be just the thing for you--

You can do it at home with the kids and takes about 15 minutes.

No need to get a weighted hoop actually I am not sure they are good for you.

I hoop right in my living room with the TV on or while talking to my husband.

What about your water intake....I'm still not drinking enough and that may be why my body is shutting off entertaining ideas of being active....and what about your blood sugar level....

I've been a very good water drinker for a long time, in fact I hardly ever go anywhere without a bottle of pure water.

I also am very conscientious of eating frequent meals, including eating within an hour or so of waking up. I've never done well with missing meals, and yes I do start feeling weak easily if I go more than 4 or 5 hours without eating.

By the way, just this afternoon my 10 year old daughter was talking to me about how she misses going for bike rides with me like the two of us used to do many years ago when she was about 6. So, I'm starting to rethink that option for another form of exercise. Thing is though, she is very physically fit- a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and very good at other forms of exercise. She is a type O and it is actually a little intimidating thinking about her outdoing me in bicycling. However, she understands my situation, and if we keep it up together perhaps I will become as fit as she is. Maybe that's the challenge I need to get me motivated to take up exercising frequently again. Plus, I think we need the bonding time-she's on the verge of adolescence and my relationship with her has been a bit strained recently. After all, she is kind of like the middle child (if that's even possible with 4 children) and this could do us both a world of good.

Posted by: cajun, Monday, October 7, 2013, 5:53pm; Reply: 11

Adopted,I was going to tell you ..please do not feel guilty about taking "exercise time" for yourself!!!!! I used to feel the same way. :-/ I learned! 8) It is part of what will make you a more relaxed mom!Great idea...bonding/bike riding with daughter!!!! ;)

Adopted,I was going to tell you ..please do not feel guilty about taking "exercise time" for yourself!!!!! I used to feel the same way. :-/ I learned! 8) It is part of what will make you a more relaxed mom!Great idea...bonding/bike riding with daughter!!!! ;)

Adopted,I was going to tell you ..please do not feel guilty about taking "exercise time" for yourself!!!!! I used to feel the same way. :-/ I learned! 8) It is part of what will make you a more relaxed mom!Great idea...bonding/bike riding with daughter!!!! ;)

I made an attempt today to go for a short ride with my daughter, but my bike is tucked away in a shed and needs tires pumped up. While we were discussing it, the dark cloud floating in put a damper on our plans. It's unfortunate that we didn't take advantage of the drought we were having to do our bike riding because now it looks like we are coming into a rainy pattern. It didn't help that our rain today was the result of a tropical storm moving up the east coast and it gave me a temporary migraine this afternoon. I don't get them very often, but when I started getting that flashing sensation in my vision as I was watching the wind pick up I knew it was inevitable. Even an extra dose of quercetin wasn't enough to ward it off. I'm sure by tomorrow it'll be gone and I'll be feeling fine.

Posted by: cajun, Tuesday, October 8, 2013, 11:44pm; Reply: 14

Thats ok. It will pass. ;) Plan b will do! 8)My oldest son gets migraines (4 confirmed concussions, high school football)so I am aware how debilitating they can be. Absolutely no light or noise!He is now 30 and the headaches are infrequent, thank goodness!You sound like such a caring mom, like many others on this forum ;), so just don't forget to take care of yourself, too. :)

Posted by: Mrs T O+, Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 2:31am; Reply: 15

Can you do some kind of "gym class" with your kids as part of home schooling? Also as you get to know your new home, you will figure out good places to walk & how to incorporate walking into your chores, etc.

Maybe you have to be like me & wait till the kids are older to get more planned time to exercise. It is difficult.

I go to Curves & it is a relatively easy workout. But I still need walking & other activities. However, they say Curves is designed for women & that it is a complete workout. The advantage is that it is a quick workout (tho I take longer than the 30 minutes they claim), so it might be easy to work into your schedule. You also meet people to talk to while you work out which may be nice in a new city. If there is one nearby, go in and talk to them. It is better if the Curves is in a convenient location like near home or near a place you go regularly.

My 3 cents worth!

Posted by: Seraffa, Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 7:38pm; Reply: 16

Cajun can you do your "diamond" relaxation/wellness exercises when you havea migrane?

I never thought about walking in the mall before but I noticed there is a mall that hardly gets any business around here, and it's the old-style mall where I used to go as a kid, and it has an antique shop in it. Now that I consider walking a "beneficial" maybe when the weather is bad I will walk in the mall and browse the antiques as a treat afterwards :)

I never thought about walking in the mall before but I noticed there is a mall that hardly gets any business around here, and it's the old-style mall where I used to go as a kid, and it has an antique shop in it. Now that I consider walking a "beneficial" maybe when the weather is bad I will walk in the mall and browse the antiques as a treat afterwards :)

I have to be careful when I walk in malls or other large stores where there is a lot of new plastics, as the fumes bother me... If you don't share that sensitivity, it may be a wonderful way for you to get some exercise during inclement weather...

Posted by: Adopted4, Thursday, October 10, 2013, 1:06am; Reply: 18

Serrafa and Joe,

I know walking large malls as a form of winter exercise is gaining popularity. My father-in-law took up the ritual several years ago with a friend of his in the winter as he lives near Buffalo NY. It sounded so unusual when I first heard about it, but now I see the logic in it for older people that are looking for a way to stay healthy without spending money (that is, if you can stay out of the stores most of the time).

Thank you for the compliment cajun. I've been a child care provider most of my life and I was a professional nanny for more than a decade before I had children. Combine that with all the mounds of bureaucracy and paperwork to adopt 3 different times, after many years of infertility and a miscarriage, it's really not hard to love my children so dearly despite the "baggage" they all came with when they were each adopted. Oh, and my head is feeling fine now. Sudden drops in the barometric pressure can sometimes be a migraine trigger for me.

Mrs. T, I used to have a membership at a gym years ago before I had my kids and I participated in step aerobics. There don't appear to be any Curves gyms around here in southern MD but there were in the twin cities where we used to live. I don't know that I"m in that season in life where getting a membership at a fitness center is a good option for me right now. Since we have a puppy I've been taking her for short walks in our new neighborhood where we just recently moved to. That's working out O.K. and as soon as the rain moves out of our area I do plan on doing some bike riding with my older daughter, that is, when either or both of my sons are home to watch my youngest.

Posted by: cajun, Thursday, October 10, 2013, 11:12pm; Reply: 19

Seraffa,My oldest son gets migraines, not me. ;)He goes to a gym, but not when experiencing the migraines! ;)

I have 2 yoga DVDs that I use every other day and use my small gym set up in my garage the alternate days(treadmill, bike, free weights/bench and "jazzercise type " dancing.) 8)